A record-setting monarch butterfly released by Monarch Watch in Lawrence, Kansas, last month has captivated researchers by continuing its unprecedented northern journey through Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
Incredible Journey of MW-KS-005
The female butterfly, identified as MW-KS-005, spent a couple of days near Whitewood in southeastern Saskatchewan before pushing onward past Lake Winnipegosis in Manitoba. In just 17 days, she covered approximately 1,700 kilometers, averaging an impressive 100 kilometers per day.
Kristen Baum, a University of Kansas professor who oversees Monarch Watch, noted the significance of this migration. One of the interesting things with having this radio tag data is you can actually see how far individuals are moving and how far they can move when wind-assisted, she said. In a very short amount of time it has traveled a long way. It has been impressive. I don't know what the record would be but, with the butterfly we are talking about, no tagging has occurred that far north before.
Tracking Technology
Monarch Watch attaches tiny radio transmitters to the butterflies, each costing $200 US and shaped like a sewing needle with an oversized head. They are about the length of a quarter and attached with non-damaging eyelash glue. The transmitters typically remain attached until the butterfly's death.
The organization relies on private funding and community science, inviting observers to report sightings on its website or via a free downloadable app. The app allows anyone with a cellphone to detect if they are within 75 meters of a tagged monarch and view the tracking map via Bluetooth.
Monarch Butterfly Ecology
Monarch butterflies are an endangered species rarely spotted in Saskatchewan, though they are more prevalent in Eastern Canada where milkweed plants are abundant. Female monarchs lay eggs on milkweed leaves, which are the sole food source for caterpillars. Adult butterflies consume nectar from a variety of plants.
The milkweed diet makes the butterflies unpalatable to predators, who are warned off by their vibrant black-and-orange wings fringed with white polka dots, which can span up to 11 centimeters.
Conservation Efforts
Mission Monarch, a Montreal-based organization, monitors the Canadian migration through sightings posted on its website and encourages people to report or help expand milkweed habitats. Monarch Watch also relies on community science to track the butterflies' movements.
After vanishing for a week, MW-KS-005 reappeared Monday closer to Winnipeg, continuing her historic journey northward.
